British Heritage: February 1997 Letters

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The next British Heritage magazine tour is called The World of Wessex (details in print edition). This transports you to places mentioned on our pages and is paced for discovery, with no gruelling coach rides along the motorway or early morning calls! In addition to handling travel details, our knowledgeable courier will share the culture and history of the places we’ll explore, and also be on hand with suggestions, directions and solutions. We’ve left plenty of time for shopping, afternoon tea, or a pint in the local pub. But it is what’s not on the itinerary that will make this adventure an extraordinary travel experience. We have deiberately left time for diversions and detours, for unexpected explorations along the road. I eagerly look forward to sharing this tour with some of you. If anyone has any suggestions for future tours, feel free to drop me a note with your ideas. In the meantime, all the best for a wonderful 1997!

– G.H.

WHAT’S A ‘SCHILTRON’ ANYWAY?

In the article ‘The Man Who Would Be Chief: Andrew Wallace’ by Joy Ufford (October/November 1996, page 41), there is a word I’m unfamiliar with–’schiltron’. In fact, the Oxford English Dictionary is also unfamiliar with it. Could you, or she, kindly provide me with its meaning? I’m especially curious as my maiden name is Schilt. Schilt (a Swiss name) means a sign on a shield.

Mrs. Mary V. Geira, Jax, Florida

Editor’s Note: A schiltron (sometimes spelled schiltrom or schiltroun) was a military formation consisting of a massed circle of spearmen. In many ways, it was a forerunner of the famous infantry square of the 18th and early 19th centuries, which was considered to be a nearly impregnable defense against a cavalry charge. Being circular, the schiltron had no flank that could be exploited by the fast-moving English cavalry. From whatever side the English approached, they could be met with a solid wall of spears, or pikes.

However, like the later infantry square, the schiltron’s effectiveness against mounted knights was offset by its vulnerability to long-range fire. In the napoleonic wars, artillery could quickly decimate the crowded infantry squares. Wallace’s schiltrons suffered the same fate at Stirling Bridge at the hands of English archers. But at Bannockburn, the terrain prevented the English from effectively deploying their archers against Robert Bruce’s army, and the Scottish schiltrons won the day.

MAKING DO

The letter ‘Wedding Feast’ in the issue that I have just received (December/January 1996/1997 page 6), brought back pleasant memories of the six months that I spent in England, and the article on fish and chips (October/November 1996, page 20) was also enjoyable. I agree with the lady from Bolton–all the fish and chips I ate, and I ate a lot, had mushy peas as a side dish. However, you could also get curry, fried pineapple rings, as well as beef pasties and chicken pies. In my opinion, and my husband’s, the haddock was best. Our favourite chippie was less than a block from our house, and there wasn’t a week that went by that we didn’t get take out at least once.

One other thing that I miss, when it comes to food, is Golden Syrup. Upon reading ‘Best of British Food and Drink’ (December/January 1996/1997, page 33) I found myself thinking about writing to Silver Spoon Creative Kitchen, in the hopes of finding a way to buy some here.

The problem all started when I came home and decided to make crepes for my grown daughter. When I told her we were going to be sprinkling sugar, lemon juice and syrup over very thin pancakes, she thought I had lost my mind, and when I couldn’t get any Golden Syrup, she knew for sure that I didn’t know what I was talking about.

However, Silver Spoon inadvertently saved the day for me, in the shape of a small Recipe Ideas booklet that I had sent off for right after moving to England. I was having difficulty converting my own recipes to English measurements, so I sent off for every little cookbook offered from all the products that I bought over there. I received a Be-Ro Flour Home Recipes booklet and Homepride Quick and Easy Yeast Recipes. McDougalls sent three delightful little booklets that really helped me with the flour over there, but most of all Silver Spoon sent one nice booklet that tells all about British sugar, and a small pamphlet called Baking Biscuits and Cookies.

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